The Neff family is moving to Oregon from Illinois. They stop in Dodge City where the father, Cyrus, arranges with a man named Clardy to act as their guide and provide the equipment necessary to help the family travel north to Nebraska where they will join a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. Unfortunately for the Neffs, Clardy is a crook. He uses equipment that belongs to someone else to sell Mr. Neff guide services, collects $3,000 in payment, and then disappears.
Upon discovering Clardy's disappearing act, Cyrus visits the Dodge City jail to report the swindle, but Marshal Dillon is out of town. Chester hears Neff's story and decides he will offer his services as a guide to Nebraska. However, upon his return, Matt does not believe Chester is well suited for such a task, and talks Quint Asper into taking the job. Chester isn't happy about Matt's lack of confidence in his trailing abilities. In a somewhat surprising scene, Chester is very forthright about his disappointment with Matt's lack of confidence in his abilities. It makes Chester "tired."
There are two story arcs at play. Quint leads the Neff family on their journey north, while Chester does "law man work" and pursues the swindler Clardy.
This is the second episode in a row written by Kathleen Hite, and neither is up to Hite's usual high standards. Interestingly, both of the episodes involve women and their unrequited desire for a man. The arc with Quint leading the Neff family on their journey to Nebraska is oddly written and played, with the daughter, Belle, attempting to engage Quint in romance after openly flirting with Matt Dillon. The other story arc with Chester is more satisfying.
There are some enjoyable little scenes in this episode and more humor than one might expect. The scene with Chester and Moss Grimmick discussing Clardy's whereabouts is a nice touch. It highlights how Chester's friendships around Dodge benefit his ability to always seem to know what is going on behind the scenes. (This is a bit of an unheralded trait Chester brings to working for the Marshal. He always seems to have insider knowledge of all of the Dodge City gossip.) The scene where Kitty tells Matt and Doc she hopes Chester is successful in his pursuit of Clardy underpins how much Matt's and Doc's assessment of Chester's talent misses the mark. Some of the scenes near the end where we see the results of Chester's efforts offer some redemption for the story.
Everett Sloane, as Cyrus Neff, is good, but Sharon Farrell's portrayal of Belle seems a bit off. I don't think it is Farrell's fault -- she was a fine actress. The resolution of the story arc is rushed, despite the fact the story arc itself drags down the episode overall.
Don Haggerty, who plays Clardy, had recently appeared in the Season 9 episode "Legends Don't Sleep." Haggerty played tons of small roles in television and films over the years, with many appearances in b-grade movies.
Watch for a mustachioed Charles Seel in a small part as the man who owns the rig Clardy uses to scam Cyrus Neff. (Clardy paid the man on $50 to use the rig for a short time.) Seel would later appear in several Gunsmoke episodes as the telegraph operator Barney Danches.
This episode comes during the time when Dennis Weaver was preparing to leave Gunsmoke. Years later, this fact makes Chester's behavior in this story more thought provoking. Although Chester's departure was never explained, one can imagine Chester deciding to leave town because of the lack of confidence Matt shows in Chester's abilities in this story. (That lack of confidence is not unwarranted given the many times Chester's blunders caused problems for Matt in episodes from earlier seasons.)
